Farmers oppose livestock register

Agriculture and Livestock CS Mwangi Kiunjuri has been accused of failing to consult farmers over the proposal to register livestock. [File, Standard]

Livestock farmers are protesting against a proposed national legislation to register their domesticated animals.

The proposed law indicates that those who will fail to register their animals will pay of a fine of Sh100,000 or a jail term not exceeding one year.

The stakeholders led by James Mwangi said the law is meant to frustrate the farmers.

Mr Mwangi, who spoke at Kenol market in Murang’a said the Livestock Bill 2019 should be scrapped as it will just frustrate farmers.

Mwangi accused Agriculture and Livestock Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuru of having failed to conduct public participation before taking the proposed legislation to Parliament.

“Our investigations have established that none of the stakeholders including those in the Northern part of Kenya were consulted by the Ministry prior to the drawing of this Bill,” Mwangi said.

In the proposal farmers are also required to register the number of bee hives in their farms.

It calls on the producers and traders in the sector to obtain valid registration documents from relevant agencies.

The CS for agriculture, the Bill proposes, shall appoint officers to establish and maintain registers of persons and organisations as specified under the Act.

Efforts to get comments from Kiunjuri were futile.